Inferior alveolar nerve trajectory, mental foramen location and incidence of mental nerve anterior loop

Miguel Velasco-Torres; Miguel Padial-Molina; Gustavo Avila-Ortiz; Raúl García-Delgado; Andrés Catena; Pablo Galindo-Moreno

doi:10.4317/medoral.21905

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Inferior alveolar nerve trajectory, mental foramen location and incidence of mental nerve anterior loop

Journal article

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Inferior alveolar nerve trajectory, mental foramen location and incidence of mental nerve anterior loop

Miguel Velasco-Torres, Miguel Padial-Molina, Gustavo Avila-Ortiz, Raúl García-Delgado, Andrés Catena and Pablo Galindo-Moreno

Medicina oral, patología oral y cirugía bucal, Vol.22(5), pp.e630-e635

09/2017

DOI: 10.4317/medoral.21905

PMCID: PMC5694187

PMID: 28809376

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Abstract

Objectives: Injury of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) is a serious intraoperative complication that may occur during routine surgical procedures, such as dental implant placement or extraction of impacted teeth. Thus, the purpose of this study was to analyze the trajectory of the mandibular canal (MC), the location of the mental foramen (MF) and the presence and extension of an anterior loop of the mental nerve (AL). Study design: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 348 CBCTs were analyzed. Distances from MC to the surface of the basal, medial and lateral cortical of the mandible were measured at the level of the second molar, first molar and second premolar. Location of the MF relative to the apices of the premolars, as well as incidence and anterior extent of the AL were also determined. Results: Significant and clinically relevant correlations were found between the position of the MC in women, which was located more caudal (r=-0.219, p=0.007; r=-0.276, p<0.001; right and left, respectively) and lateral (r=-0.274, p=0.001; r=-0.285, p<0.001; right and left, respectively), particularly at the level of the premolars. Additionally, the presence (r=-0.181, p=0.001; r=-0.163, p=0.002; right and left, respectively) and anterior extension (r=-0.180, p=0.009; r=-0.285, p=0.05; right and left, respectively) of the AL was found to be inversely correlated with the age of the patient. Conclusions: This analysis of a Caucasian population has found that the older the patient, the lower the incidence of the loop and the shorter its anterior extension.

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Title: Subtitle: Inferior alveolar nerve trajectory, mental foramen location and incidence of mental nerve anterior loop
Creators: Miguel Velasco-Torres - DDS, PhD, Department of Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Miguel Padial-Molina - DDS, PhD, Department of Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Gustavo Avila-Ortiz - DDS, MS, PhD, Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
Raúl García-Delgado - Specialist in Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology. Private Practice. Granada, Spain
Andrés Catena - PhD, Department of Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Pablo Galindo-Moreno - DDS, PhD, Department of Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Medicina oral, patología oral y cirugía bucal, Vol.22(5), pp.e630-e635
Publisher: Medicina Oral S.L
DOI: 10.4317/medoral.21905
PMID: 28809376
PMCID: PMC5694187
ISSN: 1698-4447
eISSN: 1698-6946
Language: English
Date published: 09/2017
Academic Unit: Periodontics
Record Identifier: 9984065810602771

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